Small But Terrible

I was walking like a zombie last night at Ayala because the person I wanted so much to be with at that moment is having a meeting. (hehhe.. ok lang.. forgiven na 🙂 )

When I was almost at National Bookstore (where I promised myself that I will just buy a wrapping paper. Just a wrapping paper. Nothing else but a wrapping paper.) I saw a familiar face. I tried to scan my lunch-denied brain where I’ve seen her. Light bulb flash. Eureka!

She was a school bully back in college. And for the life of me i couldn’t remember her name. But i won’t be losing sleep for not remembering. But I have one VERY fond memory of her.

Back in college, she was known as someone who loves to put people down. A bully by definition. Like she would tell you you’re a loser just because you can’t get that perfect twist in your P.E Ballroom class. She’d make sure she gets the attention of the class and your big red face will be the butt of the joke. Know what i mean ? I just don’t get it why some people get their fix in making other people’s life miserable. But she has yet to try her stint on me.

So one day, i was sitting at the Admin Building at UP with some students while waiting for our class to start. I forgot what class it was but it was one of those classes where you’re classmates with students outside your major. And in she came sashaying her ugly butt in the middle of the group.

Okay, a short note for those who doesn’t know me. I’m a petite girl, sa bisaya pa potot. LOL. And I’m loving it. 🙂 And i don’t really mind when friends would tease me, or make fun of me about it. It had never been an issue for me. Heck, I even make fun of myself! It’s really no biggie. It’s one of my charms. Bwahahaha.

So going back to my fond memory…

I remember we we’re talking about something before she joined the group. We were laughing, i guess we we’re talking about our teachers behind their backs. LOL.

And then out of nowhere she said,”Potot lagi ka sah.” (“You’re short”). I’ll leave the tone to your imagination. Duh!

There was a hush in the group because off tangent kaayo iyang sulod sa istorya. (Now i’m having trouble translating that one. Her out of nowhere comment was simply that, out of nowhere.). So i said the first thing that came to my mind,

“Sige lang, bright man sad.” (It’s ok. I’m smart anyway.”)

Hehehe, it would have been nice to continue with… “So not like you!”

And that’s when the group burst out laughing. She just smiled and sashayed her sorry ass inside the classroom.

Ahh. What fond memories i do have with her. LOL.

I had this trip back to memory lane while lining in the cashier to pay for my wrapping paper, a 0.03 G-tech pen and a Journal. So much for the just the wrapping paper mantra.

Overheard from the Grapevine

Last night while lining up in the Cashier at National Bookstore in Ayala I overheard this conversation.

A little girl, maybe 4-5 years old, was in line behind me while her mom stands a few feet away carrying her younger brother in her arms.

Little girl (in her very conio speech) : hey mom, like , who covered my school stuff last year?

Mom (in her equally conio accent) : I did honey.

Little Girl : Really?! They’re really nice! I like them!

Her mom beamed with pride and people standing in the line couldn’t help but smile with this exchange between mother and daughter.

Little Girl : Did you also covered my notebooks and books this year?

Mom : Sure honey. Of course i did. (All smiles!)

Little Girl : Well…They’re ugly. I don’t like ’em.

LOL

What the ?!

Just what is freaking wrong with this picture? LOL

isla del fuego – ii

Our boat docked at the town of Larena, and i finally set foot in the mystical island of Siquijor!! This island is popularly known to many because of it’s so called unggo (ghosts and beings of the like) , mambabarang (witches ??) and mananambal (quack doctors). But I digress, the island just have so many things to offer. Lush Greens, clean air, fantastic view, beautiful beaches and rich culture are just some of them.

We checked in at our resort, and were glad that we have a whole house for ourselves. Nice pa jud ang house. (The neighboring resort even have P800 air conditioned cottages with cable TV already! But when we checked somebody already booked it. ) Immediately you will notice the silence. Haha, that’s how silent it is out there. You can’t help but notice just how calm and peaceful the resort is. In fact, after 3 days of being there, the whole island speaks of the same silence. Not your eerie kind of silence, but just relaxing and would really put your chaotic mind at rest. The phrase “peace of mind” is perfect for the place. Too bad it’s not something we could buy as pasalubong for the people back at the city.

Virgin island pa jud ang Suquijor. We thought we could just buy some mcDo or Jollibee or some grocery from the town central. But there were none. We would either eat from some eatery or carenderia or buy some bread to take with us back at the resort.

Since neither of us had been there before, a friend of J who’d been there, suggested that we try Chan Eatery. It’s located near the port of Siquijor. It is owned by Lollita Chan, who filled our tummy with delicious food and our minds with many stories that will make you laugh, warm your heart and will make you dish out a few tales of your own.

She gave us a map of the whole island, complete with legends of the beautiful beaches, caves, forests, falls and historical places to visit. Yes, you could practically tour the whole island in less than a day. And that we did. We rented a bike (motorbike) and off we go touring the whole island, with just a map in hand. Kewll!!

I won’t keep this post long, but the highlight of the trip for me was that we made sure we lighted candles on the churches in all 6 towns of Siquijor: San Juan, Lazi, Maria, E. Villanueva, Larena and Siquijor.

Mao ra jud ako gipangadyi. Nga padayon unta Niya nga ampingan ang mga gasa nga Iyahang gihatag kanako. Sama sa tawo nga kuyog nako, ang akong pamilya, ang akong mga higala ug ang mga saad nga Iyang gpadangat sa akoa nga akong gigunitan labaw pa sa tanan. Puno ra jud ko sa pagpasalamat nga bisan unsa pa kadako nga problema muabot, anaa gihapoy daghan nga rason nga magpasalamat Kaniya.

Taasa na sa akong sentence oi. Hehe nasipyat ang bisaya sa sentence. 🙂

Wonderful Time!

Casa de Playa (House by the Sea). This is where we stayed.

 

 

This is the beautiful madam lollita chan. She owns the Chan eatery near Siquijor port. She is really a dear. Her store has been featured in so many shows already, like Korina Sanchez’s show at Channel2. Her famous Torta that she bakes old school, has so many orders, some even from overseas. She shared the conversations exchanged between her and the many strangers who had visited her home.

Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Lazi. One of the 6 churches we visited and lighted candles. What’s nice with these churches is that they carry a lot of history with them. They are old churches, with matching bell towers to boot. But what’s not so nice is that, you will really notice the lack of care on them. Most of the churches badly needed repairs, paint jobs, ceilings changed. Maybe the town people have their own reason for this. But i hope the churches won’t continue to physically waste away.

One Liter of Gas. Yes, what’s inside these coke bottles is not the famous cola, but gasoline. After long stretch of road you will these little shanty stores which sells them. We only bought 2 liters as we circled the whole island.

would you believe that this Balete tree is already more than a century old. eeerrrrieeeee. Look close maybe you’ll see something. heheh.

It was just J, me and the big Balete tree. ’twas a bit eerie. We even said tabi tabi po, just in case. LOL.

in one of our stops, we found this craft shop which sells a few handcrafted works.

 

 

On the road to adventure. 🙂 Panget ang Pic, wala na do justice ang view 🙂

 

a VERY old convent that is now turned into a mini school for the town’s kids.

 

We were looking for an eatery then to appease our hungry tummies. Then this big sign was posted and we thought “Eureka!”. The sign said it was a Gotohan, or for those who’re are not familiar Goto is a famous Filipino dish. We burst out laughing when we noticed another banner attached on the Goto sign.

 

Hmmm… do they give you a perm while you eat your goto? LOL

 

 

One of the local guys we saw at Cambughanay Falls showing off his dive skills.

Cambughanay Falls. Soothingly fresh water. We stopped here and bought some fresh coconut to quench our thirst. Refreshing! 🙂 There are actually 3 falls here, in the picture is the second one. The tallest is the last one (previous picture).

 

 

Sunod Napud!

 

 

Choose Life

I usually have two modes of transportation on my way home from work. First would be to ride a jeepney, which would take me about 5 blocks from our house. Then i would ride a trisikad ( a bike with a sidecar) which for a P10 fare bring me safely to our place. Last night, while i was on my way home, i was wondering why there wasn’t a trisikad in sight. I waited for 15 minutes, and i thought this was already a long wait since the place is usually crowded with them. I tried walking about a block from my usual waiting area and i noticed that a lot of trisikad were parked near the bridge, and there was a huge crowed of people also gathered there.

Taas na kaayo akong intro, (My intro is getting long) LOL. I got curious (meaning nitukar ang pagkachismosa) and i asked one of the bystanders what the fuss was all about. He said that a guy jumped off the bridge. WHATTT! (harsh! harsh!). I didn’t stay to listen to what the police were discussing. It was really sad. Though i don’t know the person, but it’s a very sad way to die. Knowing the last sight you see is pile of garbage on a dry-dead river. And the last conscious effort you do is jumping off a bridge to end your life.

So this got me thinking about the statistics on suicide. And these are what i got.

Risk Factors for Suicide (from http://www.afsp.org)

Psychiatric Disorders. At least 90 percent of people who kill themselves have a diagnosable and treatable psychiatric illnesses — such as major depression, bipolar depression, or some other depressive illness, including:Schizophrenia, Alcohol or drug abuse, particularly when combined with depression, posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or some other anxiety disorder:Bulimia or anorexia nervousa, Personality disorders especially borderline or antisocial

Last time i checked i wasn’t antisocial nor schizophrenic. So I think I’m safe for now.

Past History of Attempted Suicide. Between 20 and 50 percent of people who kill themselves had previously attempted suicide. Those who have made serious suicide attempts are at a much higher risk for actually taking their lives.

I know a lot of people who made REALLY serious attempts. I better keep a close eye on them.

Generic Predisposition. Family history of suicide, suicide attempts, depression or other psychiatric illness.

Gee, so it’s a genetic thing. I should check up on my family tree if anyone died from suicide. Hope not.

Impulsivity. Impulsive individuals are more apt to act on suicidal impulses.

What?! I always have the tendency to be Impulsive and/or spontaneous. Does this mean…? OMG?!?! Wahahaha. Well, you guys got my back right? 🙂

Demographics.
Sex: Males are three to five times more likely to commit suicide than females.
Age: Elderly Caucasian males have the highest suicide rates.

Tsk tsk. Guys are really more likely to commit suicide. I guess this is from the fact that most guys would rather keep things to themselves rather than sharing it to friends or love ones. Then when they reach their threshold that’s when the unthinkable happens. 😦

Suicide Crisis is an occurrence which signals possible danger of suicide. The signs of crisis are :

Precipitating Event. A recent event that is particularly distressing such as loss of loved one or career failure. Sometimes the individuals own behavior precipitates the event: for example, a man’s abusive behavior while drinking causes his wife to leave him.

Intense Affective State in Addition to Depression. Desperation (anguish plus urgency regarding need for relief), rage, psychic pain or inner tension, anxiety, guilt, hopelessness, acute sense of abandonment.

Changes in Behavior. Speech suggesting the individual is close to suicide. Such speech may be indirect. Be alert to such statements as, “My family would be better off without me.” Sometimes those contemplating suicide talk as if they are saying goodbye or going away.

Actions ranging from buying a gun to suddenly putting one’s affairs in order.

Deterioration in Functioning at work or socially, increasing use of alcohol, other self-destructive behavior, loss of control, rage explosions.

I am not paranoid. I guess being aware of the signs lets us be more vigilant and proactive in the crisis of suicide. It’s a common denominator which any color, race, social status and gender can relate to.

And if you are in a crisis always remember to choose life. Your life. Ending your life shouldn’t be your last option. It should NEVER be an option. There are people who care. If you can’t talk to anyone, try talking to a stranger. Sometimes the answers we are looking for are given to us in unexpected ways and means.

And to end my two cents on this matter, a close relationship to Him up there is the strongest life rope one could hang on to.

Take care! Thanks for reading and visiting 🙂

Did ya get meh?

i remembered a story from one of the leadership sessions i attended a few years back, about a group of missionaries who went to one those indigenous tribes in the Amazon. When the missionaries got to the place they saw that all the tribe people were half-naked. Their bosom were plainly displayed for all to see. Apparently, the tribe believed that the bosom is a symbol of pride and honor. So the missionaries promised to come back the following day, and told the tribe people that they will be bringing gifts for them.

So the next day, the tribe people waited in anticipation to what the foreigners have for them. When the missionaries arrived they distributed shirts and even gave a demonstration on how to put them on. The tribe people were excited at this new gift and thanked the missionaries for them.

The following week, the missionaries went back to the tribe. While they were still in the boat they could see from the distance the people wearing the shirts that they gave them a week before. The missionaries were very happy with this. They hurried up to meet with their new found friends.

When they got to the place, they were greeted by the whole tribe and immediately their smiles turned into disbelief! All of the tribe people, both men and women were wearing the shirts but cut two big holes in the chest area to display their breasts!

The whole class was laughing so hard when this story was relayed to us. The lecturer did a better job in telling the story than me, but i hope you get the picture clearly. hehehe 🙂 There was a misunderstanding somewhere between the missionaries and the tribe people.

And i was reminded of this right now because a friend of mine shared about her rift with another common friend. It’s sad hearing this because I’m pretty sure it’s not something that a little talk couldn’t patch up. And somehow I think a lot of us can relate to this one way or another.

I am the type of person who, when i try to explain something to someone i usually end my line with, “Do you understand?” or “Gets?”. Just to make sure that what I’m trying to say really got across the person I’m talking to. I am not trying to undermine the competency to understand of the other person.No, not at all. I guess it’s just my way of trying to clear any shadowy areas. 🙂

And when i listen to someone, whether in class, meetings or a simple conversation with friends. I usually ask if i don’t get the point or i try to give a shortcut version of what the person is trying to say. But nothing like a grade school teacher telling her students to get 1/4 sheet of paper during quizzes. Then suddenly a small voice would say , “1/4 ma’am?” LOL. Patience is a virtue!

Well anyway, my point is: Sometimes making someone understand could save relationships a loootttttt of trouble (relationships pertains to friendships, family,love) . Right? When me and J were just starting out, we have misunderstandings because we were so different. (We have a lot in common but as any relationships have, there are just some areas that you differ on).

At first we thought that:

a) The other person doesn’t understand us AND

b) We just don’t understand the other person.

Can relate? LOL. Eventually we got the hang of it, and making the other person understand what he/she doesn’t understand is something that we enjoy and respect. And what’s so nice about it is you get to enjoy both worlds, by simply opening your own to what the other person has to share. Now let’s keep our fingers crossed that this will make us go a long long way. Hehehhe. (Hon sa? LOL)

Now, if you want to make someone understand, but he/she just refuses to listen. Goodluck! Bwahahaha LOL. Yeah, there are just some people who are too narrow-minded to accept opinions other than their own.

But personally, what would make me lose heart on what someone is trying to make me understand (like criticism? hehe) would be :

1. Tone. Tone of voice is VERY important to me. Bahala muingon ka salbahis ko, basta tarongon lang pagkasulti, I will still love you todotodo. LOL. (Even if you tell me i make the wicked stepmothers look like angels, but if you tell it to me in a nice way i would still love you.) This is not sugarcoating, that’s another matter. For me its simply telling the truth without the intention to hurt. If you can say something in a way that will not make the person feel like you’re judging him/her, then why not?

2. Intention. If i feel that all you want to do is to inflict pain with your words, then whatever you want to say would be drowned in lala land. I don’t really care how much you know, unless I know how much you care. And some people just find it hard to be gentle. And i don’t mean this in a derogatory way. It’s not just them to be all sweet and calm in saying things. But they do mean well, and sometimes, that is enough. 🙂

How about you? what would turn you off? hahaha, murag turn ons, kay naa may turn offs, bwahahaha.

But sometimes i just don’t really care. Some people can get away with it. Some, i just don’t really care. It’s a tough business trying to get the approval and good side of everyone. Naa jud nay musimang. Hehe. Sa Math pa, off-tangent.
Enweys, that’s my take for this day. Hope all your relationships are well. Take care, Thanks for reading! Ciao! 🙂

P.S : the title was taken from my high school HomeEcon. teacher, Mrs. Flores. Who always pauses in between her lecture with her line, “Did ya get meh?”. She has a way of saying it that makes it so funny. And she says it so many times in a class, that the students puts a tally for each time she mentions it. 🙂 But she was a good teacher. And i miss her popcorn which she sells in our class. LOL. 🙂

isla del fuego

First Half

I had a magical time for three days and two nights in the mystical island of Siquijor or Isla del Fuego as it was originally named. J treated the both of us to a wonderful time in the island. It was really an adventure cause neither of us had been there before and we didn’t really plan on exploring the whole island, but we did! It was one of those moments you wish would just go on and on and on and on… 🙂

J told me about the trip about a week before the 16th. Enough time to file for a vacation leave from work and other things that needs handling before we leave for the weekend. Waaaaaah i’m so excited already, i couldn’t wait for saturday morning!!!

Four am sharp, June 16, i was already up and started preparing our breakfast. I contemplated the night before on not sleeping and just sleep in the van on our way to Santander, but i wanted to be awake and active during the whole trip so i tried to contain my excitement and get myself a few hours of sleeping time. But still sleepyhead me couldn’t fight dozing on and off during the whole ride going to the island. Hehhe, good thing i have wonderful man beside me whose shoulders, lap, arms had been my pillow. Hehehe i hope wala ko naglaway kay ulaw kaau ( i hope i wasn’t drooling cause it would be a major embarassment).. bwahahahaha 🙂

So, he got at my place at 5, we had breakfast and arrived at Citilink Terminal at around 5:30am, the v-hire was already half-full but the lady was really nice , moving a bit, and allowing me and J to sit together. We left the city at 6am going to Santander where we will ride a pumpboat going to Sibulan, Negros. We opted for the landtrip (wahaha.. landtrip daw pero mulabang ug dagat) rather than taking the ship/boat and spending so many boring hours with nothing but sea water surrounding you. And land trip is way faster and cheaper and you get to see lots of beautiful sites as you travel from one town after another. Roadtrip is way much fun 🙂

So, going back to our v-hire ride. We arrived at Santander and i didn’t know there was a small port there for ferryboats or big pumpboats for passengers bound for Negros. I took a weewee (pee) cause my bladder won’t survive the 30 minutes sea trip. LOL. 🙂 We boarded the boat which would take us in the land of Mt.Kanlaon… Negros!

Arriving at Sibulan, we were greeted with students. Well not actually “greeted” in the truest sense of the word, more like we were unprepared for the young high school students in their uniform populating the area near the port. This was because their school was really near the ferryboats port, and it has somehow become their past time playing onlookers on the many strangers , passengers , from the neighboring islands.

From Sibulan, we rode a multicab going to Dumaguete. Weeeee the land of motorbikes! LOL. We strolled (HHWW) our way to Dumaguete port around 9:30 hoping to find a boat or something like a fast craft that would take us to Siquijor. Hopefully, something that would stop at the town of Larena, Siquijor. And lo and behold, there’s a 10am ship going to Larena!

Since it wasn’t a fast craft ship, it took us 2 whole hours (1 hour only for fast craft) to arrive at the port of Larena. But it wasn’t a boring ride since there were a few gay passengers who entertained us with their antics. There wasn’t much people on that trip. There were less than 50 passengers with us, J & I even have a whole row of seats for ourselves!

And finally we arrived!

If you’re a nature tripper and doesn’t mind traveling with your backpacks, try taking a land trip to Siquijor. Especially if you want a place where you can really spend time with the one you’re with… it’s one of the best place to visit.

So in summary here’s the route we took :

Cebu City —> Santander, Cebu —> Sibulan, Negros —> Dumaguete —> Siquijor

Second Half… To be continued

My Kind of Sex in the City Vixen

what can i say… so true.. hehehehe

You Are Most Like Charlotte!

You are the ultimate romantic idealistYou’ve been hurt before, but that hasn’t caused you to give up on love. If anything, your resolve to fall in love is stronger than ever. And it’s this feminine optimism that men find most appealing about you. Romantic prediction: That guy you are seeing (or crushing on)? Could be very serious – if you play your cards right!

Which Sex and the City Vixen Are You?

 

note: this update is for dagul , ang dili “daw” mubasa ug blog hahaha

Numb3rs- The Janus List

Amazing! (I heart Numb3rs)

I just finished watching the season 3 ender of Numb3rs. And I’m telling you, it’s a must see ending. It’s entitled The Janus List, and it’s full of unexpected twists and turns. Who would have thought that *bleeeeeep* was a double agent?? (hahahah… for the fans of this series, see im not that bad at handing out spoilers! ) 🙂

I have always been a fan of Numb3rs ever since season1 and this latest season’s ender, i guess, would top my fave list for this TV show. Just Superb!

I had a copy of the first 8 episodes for this season. Then when i realized that the final episode (ep24) was already available… well… i watched it first! ahahaha. I’ll try to secure my copy of episodes 9-23 later. Bwahahaha. Well, as of this writing, episodes 18-23 are now in my safekeeping.

The plot was a about an American (or was it Brit?) International Spy who compiled a list of double agents who were trading information between two opposing countries at a high price. So basically they are traitors. Info’s like the names of federal witnesses, safe houses, and other classified information. He named the list, The Janus List, thus the title.

The exposure of this list would cause the downfall of various government agencies (CIA, FBI, etc.) to whom the double agents are affiliated with. Kinda reminds me of Alias style, where Sydney Bristow works as a double agent between the CIA and a wannabee CIA agency.

The man who compiled this Janus list is a hardcore agent, spy , and a well-known cryptographer. And you’d be grinning ear to ear at how he communicated with Charlie and Don through codes.

The next time i receive a binary code (series of zeroes and ones, the very basic building blocks of machine code) , perhaps there’s a code hidden somewhere there. Code reads : You just won a round trip ticket to a destination of your choice! LOL! Now that would be fun. hehehe 🙂

‘Nuf talk. Go watch now! 🙂

P.S : Janus was the Roman god of gates and doorways, depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions. Good choice of Symbolism 🙂

Love on Wheels

I can’t believe the sight I’m seeing right now outside my bedroom window. 🙂

Just across our place is a Halohalo stand. For those who do not know, its a concoction made from different fruits, leche flan, sago, milk and ice. Reallllyyy yummy. And I’m telling you, manang‘s halohalo is really good. And their serving is plenty for a P15 charge. *wink*

Enwey, going back to that beautiful sight which prompted me to make a post at exactly 11:54 in the evening. I saw a couple, a girl and a guy, both on wheelchairs. They just stopped, i guess from their stroll to enjoy a glass of fresh halohalo. They were holding hands while waiting for their order to come. It was really a sweet sight. I was kinda glued near my window watching them enjoy their quality time together.

And what’s even more ironic is that, earlier this evening, around 9pm i guess, there was an accident right around that area. A vehicular accident between a taxi and a private car. No one was hurt, thank God.

So i was checking if the cars were still there and voila! I was presented by a very beautiful sight. Ahh! Life. You check out for rotten stuff, and it hands you a fresh serving of hope. Well, this goes vice versa. But right now, I’m just enjoying this view outside my window, because sometimes, even just a glimmer of hope can do wonders. 🙂